Another article looking at the importance of vitamin D in patients with asthma has just been published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
The authors, MS Sandhu and TB Casele, point out that evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency is associated with lung airway over-responsiveness, worse asthma control, and possibly resistance of asthma patients being able to respond to steroid treatment.
They point out that the cells in the lung show high amounts of the enzyme necessary to convert vitamin D to the activated vitamin D within the lung.
This activated vitamin D has been shown to inhibit the manufacture of certain molecules that promote inflammation in the lung. Therefore having sufficient vitamin D would contribute to less lung inflammation, which is the cause of asthma.
They also point out that vitamin D in the lung helps manufacture several natural anti-infective molecules that can help prevent infections, like bronchitis.
The authors made the hypothesis that vitamin D supplementation may lead to improved asthma control, and indeed that is exactly what I see in my practice. All of my patients with asthma have their vitamin D levels optimized.
If you or your family has problems with asthma, including childhood asthma please be sure your vitamin D levels are optimized.
Please let me know if you found vitamin D to be helpful with asthma in you or your family? Do you take it on a regular basis? Do you get your blood levels checked occasionally?
I look forward to hearing from you.
About Dr. Soram Khalsa
As an MD, Dr Soram specializes in Integrative Medicine combining diet, nutrition, acupuncture, herbs and nutrition. Visit Dr Soram’s Healthy Living Store where you’ll find high-quality nutritional supplements:
